Shaded Gray
by KatieLeanne17
Summary: The world isn't split into good people and bad people. In order to save New York City, Raphael and Michelangelo must put aside their ideas of right and wrong and save New York City by working with two of the best theives the world has ever seen.
1. Sooner or Later Voluntarily or Forced

Shaded Gray

Well, this is my first time not writing a one-shot and not writing a strict comedy...Tell me what you think but please don't be too hard!! Constructive critisim is always welcome just no flames please!

_**Summary**:_ The world isn't split into good people and bad people, despite how easy that would make things. People grow and change, morphing into unexpected characters. Michelangelo and Raphael get an inside view in the workings of human nature as they realize that in order to save New York, they must work with two of the stealthiest thieves that the world has ever known.

* * *

For years, Michelangelo and Raphael watched the neighborhood kids grow up, had grown up with them. Out of sight in the dark sewers beneath their stained and worn sneakers, they had mimicked the way the kids of their respective neighborhoods talked, walked, and acted. Perfected the way they carried themselves; Mikey had perfected the kids on the border of the ocean, catching on to the way they talked and walked with an air of arrogance. Raphael, meanwhile, had been mesmerized with the kids from Brooklyn. With their slouching, slinking walk that was reminiscent of a panther and their imposing voices, Raph figured that it was hard to not be captivated by them.

When they were six, Raphael and Michelangelo watched the kids jumping rope, playing four-square, and simply enjoying the bliss that innocence afforded them. At age nine, the Brooklyn kids, still retaining some remnants of innocence, began being used to traffic drugs back and forth in their backpacks, while the coast kids began to hang out on the beach and surf. At age twelve, all remnants of innocence were gone from both worlds as the coast kids, following the examples set by the older surfers, spent their time getting high on beach; the Brooklyn kids, meanwhile, had either completely shut themselves off from the world in order to better their lives or else spent their time honing their criminal skills.

By the time the turtles were seventeen, Mikey had quite watching the kids altogether. Raphael, meanwhile, was still fascinated with two children, a set of seventeen year old twins. From listening to many conversations, he was able to learn that their names were Daniel and Brandon, and they were the best thieves in town. Raphael, despite knowing that they were breaking the law, never tried to stop them for one simple reason: he was fascinated by them.

For over eleven years, Raphael had watched the twins grow up, seen what they have endured throughout their short life time. They weren't like normal criminals. Every time they stole from someone, they were meticulous and calculated everything exactly to ensure that no one was hurt. They spent time volunteering at the animal shelters, always gave change to the homeless people on the streets and smiled at everyone. Anytime they saw a kid getting jumped, they didn't waste time asking questions, instead jumping in to break up the fight but never joining in. Needless to say, Raphael was sufficiently confused. He was used to seeing the world in black and white, no in betweens, no gray. And if there was ever a pair to challenge his views on the world, it was Daniel and Brandon.

Raphael never intended to talk to the twins, content with simply watching them in from the safety of the sewers. He never believed that their paths would cross. He didn't realize how much they would come to depend on each other, nor how close a bond they would achieve.

* * *

"Raph, what are you doing?" Raphael sighed, turning away from the edge of the rooftop he was standing on in order to look at his older brother.

"Nothing," Raphael was really not in the mood to talk to Leo, still upset about their earlier fight.

"Don't be like that, Raph. I apologized. Are you sure you and Mikey don't want to come with us this week?"

"I'm good. I told you, that farm house is too far away and I kinda want to have some time to myself."

"Well you won't be alone; Mikey's staying." Leo laughed. Raph chuckled, seeing that Leo genuinely wanted him to go. Nonetheless, Raph really didn't feel like leaving their home.

"True, but two of us in the lair is a lot better than five. I'll be back home in a few minutes to say bye," Raph turned back to the edge of the building. When he sensed Leo was gone, he jumped down to the middle of the fire escape in order to hear the conversation taking place between the twins below him. Currently, the pair were picking the lock on a convenience store.

"And you said you got the combination for the safe, right?" One of them asked between a mouth full of tiny tools, on his knees and jimmying the lock. The one pacing around and waiting sighed impatiently.

"For the last time, Brandon, we don't need it. All we need is the micro-scrambler that I made. It'll scramble the code and reset the safe back to it's original code, which is generic throughout the U.S. as 123456. Just make sure you can get the safe open without the key once the code is set."

Brandon took a quick minute to look up at Daniel, disbelief shining in his crystal blue eyes. The lock popped open with a slight "sntch" sound. "Are you really asking me if a I can jimmy a damn key hole?" Daniel smiled and the two walked inside.

Raphael sighed; he knew he should stop them. It was wrong and immoral to steal, not to mention against the law. Yet Raphael knew he couldn't, could never face the twins. They interested him too much. He knew if any of his brothers saw him, they would be incredulous, especially because he was the one always out stopping crime. That was why for the past ten years, he had kept the twins' identities secret.

Raphael didn't wait to see what the twins walked out with, instead standing up and stretching. With one final glance back, he jumped back up to the top of the rooftop and jogged home, happy to say goodbye and get some long-desired peace.

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If you want to make me really happy and want me to continue, leave a review please!! Thanks!


	2. Everyone Falls Off The Fence

Chapter two is up a lot sooner than I had anticipated (and a lot shorter), but here it is!!

Thank you Puldoh for reviewing!! It made me so happy!! smiles

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**Chapter 2**

"My sons, do not hesitate to call if you need anything at all," Splinter gently hugged his two sons that were remaining behind.

"Dude, it's only for a week," Michelangelo hugged his Sensei back, grinning; he had never been allowed to stay home by himself before. Granted there really wasn't much choice, and he was still technically staying with Raphael, he was happy to have some time to himself. He could finally beat his high score on his game without gaining disapproving looks every five minutes!

"Yeah, we'll be fine," Raphael awkwardly hugged Splinter for a quick moment before hastily pulling back.

"Bye guys," Don waved, clapping Mikey on the back before walking close to Raphael. He clapped his red-banded brother on the back and pulled him close. "Listen, I know Master Splinter told you guys not to go out, and I also know you won't listen," Raph pulled back angrily, but Don tugged him back. "Hey, I don't like the idea of it either, but it's your decision. All I want you to know is that I left some emergency equipment in the kitchen cupboard in case you need it." Don let go of his brother and waved before walking outside. Leo nodded to his brothers, not quite knowing what to say and briefly gave them a one armed hug before walking outside with Don. After giving them one final lecture, Splinter went outside as well, his tail swishing gently as the door closed behind him. Neither of the remaining two turtles said anything for a full five minutes, staring at the door and not daring to believe that they were actually being left alone.

"WOOHOO!!" Michelangelo yelled as soon as he felt that the three had traversed far enough away as to not hear him. He began running around the living room, flipping over the couch and jumping up and down in front of the television. Raphael rolled his eyes at his brother's antics and walked into his bedroom, tired and deciding to go to bed for the night.

Raphael's room was not what it would seem. His brother's were rarely allowed inside of it due to his overbearing sense of personal space, yet were always surprised when they saw how _clean_ the room was. Immaculate, some would call it, with everything in it's proper place. Fitness magazines were in an orderly stack beneath his bedside table, pin-up posters were severely straight, his black fan gleaming and utterly devoid of even a speck of dust, and his personal weight rack in ascending order from lightest to heaviest dumbbells.

Raphael had barely closed his eyes before a slight knock came from outside his door. Grumbling, he stood up and walked over to the door, opening it up only enough to allow him to poke his head outside and glare at his hyperactive brother.

"Raphy!" Mikey exclaimed, jumping forward to try and get into the room but being pushed back out abruptly. "Can I come in?"

"No."

"Ok, well I'm heading out for pizza, you wanna come with?" Mikey seemed unperturbed by his brothers calloused attitude; after living with it for seventeen years, he had learned to ignore it.

"Mikey, it's almost midnight."

"Yep, and if I leave in the next minute and a half, I can get there before they close for the night." Mikey grinned, sounding happy at his brilliant plan. Raphael simply shook his head.

"No, I'm going to bed."

"K, I'll be back in a bit!" Mikey rushed out of the lair, running the whole way down the sewer tunnels. With one last shake of his head and an irritated sigh, Raphael shut his door and went to bed.

* * *

Mikey fairly flew down the sewer tunnel, intent on getting his food as fast as possible. According to his line of reasoning, he couldn't fathom any better way of putting his ninja training to use than hurrying to get his food as fast as possible. He had barely stopped to grab his fedora and trench coat before bolting out of the lair, and was currently attempting to slip his arms through the coat without breaking stride. It was no easy feat, but it was finally completed.

"Ha ha. Michelangelo, the greatest, most best looking ninja in the world, accomplishes another amazing feat without breaking a sweat on the ultimate quest: Operation Hunger Obliterator!" he whispered fiercely to himself, jamming the fedora down on his head before lifting up a man hole cover and jumping out onto the street above.

Michelangelo got his pizza without incident, enduring only slight glares from the pizza people who were attempting to go home early. Once back in the sewers, he made sure Raphael truly was asleep before quietly putting the pizza on the couch and turning on his game console; he had a long night ahead of him.

* * *

Okay, there's chapter two! Smiles. Sorry it's so short, but they'll get longer as the story progresses!Nothing much is really happening right now, I kind of want to lead up to it, but they should meet either in the next chapter or the fourth. Tell me what you guys think and, as always, constructive criticism is welcome!! Thank you!!


	3. Tears Fall But Why Am I Crying

Okay, here's chapter three! Sorry, I know it's still short, but the chapters are progressively getting longer...As soon as I have enough time to sit down and write for more than five minutes at a time (which should hopefully be soon as I'm now officially on summber break!) , they will be substantially longer...Let me know what you think about this chapter!!

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Chapter 3

Raphael awoke the next morning at five, his body programmed to wake up for morning practice. He rolled over in an attempt to go back to sleep, but finally gave up and decided to make breakfast. He stopped midway through though, staring in disbelief at the couch. Michelangelo had apparently fallen asleep whilst playing his game, a slice of half eaten pizza still clutched in his left hand while his right hand held the controller to his game console; the television was frozen on a screen with big block letters declaring "NEW HIGH SCORE." Laughing slightly and wishing he had a camera, Raphael continued his walk to the kitchen and pulled out a box of cereal. Grabbing a small cup and pouring the cereal in to it, he walked out and back into the living room, eating the cereal dry.

Creeping stealthily towards the couch, a grin spread over his face. Leaning down next to Michelangelo's ear, he inhaled deeply.

"GOOD MORNING MIKEY!" he bellowed as loud as he could. The results were instantaneous; Mikey jerked up wide eyed, dropped his pizza, and threw his remote control wildly, all the while yelling.

"RAPH! What the hell was that about?" he asked, realizing that his brother had been the cause of his near heart-attack. Raphael let out a hearty bellow, clutching his sides in pain from laughing too hard.

"Oh my god, what I wouldn't kill to have caught that on tape," Raphael gasped out as soon as his laughs had subsided. Wiping his eyes and still chuckling, he sat down next to his brother on the couch.

"Well I'm glad you found it funny, you psychopath," Mikey grumbled, reaching into the discarded pizza box and extracting a piece of pepperoni pizza. Raphael ignored the jibe and turned on the actual television. The channel it was on was the news, and from what he could see, there was something serious going on. He turned up the volume, intrigued.

"…The police currently have no suspects and no witnesses. The bombs are approximately seven inches in diameter and can reportedly level a surrounding area of three square miles each. The government is offering a six thousand dollar reward for anyone who has information that leads to the direct capture of the supposed 'terrorists.' Supposedly, the bombs are held within time-soluble cases that are set to detonate in approximately two weeks, so any information must be obtained as soon as possible. If the bombs are not found within the next week, the government will be ordering a mass evacuation. There will be new updates later as the story progresses. After this quick break, Shannon will announce the weather for the week and-" Raphael muted the television, silencing the remainder of the news anchor's speech.

"Dude, someone stole two bombs?" Mikey whispered, awe struck. Raph simply nodded, deep in thought. A sense of overwhelming anger and determination consumed him.

"We have to find those bombs." He stated with conviction. Michelangelo looked over at him with an incredulous look.

"We can't."

"We have to."

"How? The police are going to be looking all day and night, and we have no idea where they're even at! New York is huge! For all we know they could be in an entirely different time zone!"

"Don't be stupid, Mikey. All of New York is in the same time zone." Michelangelo could tell that Raph wasn't paying all that much attention to him. Not used to being ignored, he decided that he needed to fix the situation. Standing up, he crossed his arms across his plastron and stomped over in front of Raphael.

"Raph! Seriously bro, think 'bout it, dude. Finding those things is gonna be impossible. The only thing we can do is call the others and tell them to get their sorry shells back here so we can leave!" Raphael spared Michelangelo a quick glance before standing up and silently brushing past him.

* * *

Raphael locked himself in Donatello's lab for the rest of the day, typing away at the computer. He knew Don would have a major panic attack if he knew Raph had been messing with his computer, but there was no other choice. Raphael was actually planning an attack strategy for the first time in his life, and he required Don's computer to do it. Granted, Raph knew that, more likely than not, he would throw the plan out the window as soon as he got the chance, but he felt like he at least needed to make one.

For five hours, Raphael searched news websites to find constant updates on the report. After refreshing the same page for about the twentieth time, he finally found what he was looking for. Clicking on the blue link, he quickly read the article.

_"MSNBC has just received an update in the case of the missing bombs. Apparently, an anonymous caller tipped the police off that the bomb threat is actually a racist statement. The bomb are set to detonate in two weeks at different spots. One is within the three mile radius of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, which was the first church in New York built for colored people. The second is set to go off within a three mile radius of the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, which is the largest church in the entire United States and the main congregation for Hispanic Catholics. No clear spot has been pinpointed for the bombs locations so far. As a safety precaution, the government is ordering a mandatory evacuation of the residences immediately surrounding the two areas. More information will be available as the story progresses."_

Raphael read the article quickly for a second time before printing it out. As soon as it was folded and tucked safely underneath his belt, he opened up a new internet search and printed out two more papers; maps of the areas surrounding the two churches. He signed off of the computer with a satisfied nod of his head and went back into his bedroom, still deep in thought.

* * *

Michelangelo had attempted to divert his attention by playing the new video game he had gotten and beat his high score from last night. However, he gave up after an hour, deciding that it was pointless. The look in Raphael's eyes had been haunting him for the better part of an hour and he just couldn't shake the image out of his mind.

_'I thought Raph had hung up his Nightwatcher gear for good.'_ His thoughts inevitably went back to the day he had found out that Raphael was the Nightwatcher and was retiring. Michelangelo had felt such an odd array of emotions that day, and they were all resurfacing now, six months later.

Michelangelo had loved the Nightwatcher, looked up to him as an idol; a shining beacon of hope in this desolate city. Yet he knew that as much as he idolized the Nightwatcher, the metal hero was not immortal. He would die a martyr and be forever condemned by the people he had worked so fervently to protect. Maybe that was why Mikey had liked the Nightwatcher so much; he felt a kinship in the rogue vigilante and he never wanted him to stop.

Yet as soon as Mikey discovered that Raphael was the Nightwatcher, he had immediately felt sickened. Here he was, egging on the vigilante, knowing that he was headed for impending death, and really was unknowingly cheering his own brother on to an early death. He felt sickened with himself, with his own selfish wants. He never wanted Raphael to be out there again, putting on the outfit and facing danger on a nightly basis. Yet he wanted the Nightwatcher to continue to keep crime at bay. Never before had he experienced such conflicting emotions, such a turmoil of guilt and relief. Relief that his brother was going to be safe, and guilt from realizing how much he must have fueled Raphael's fire by constantly raving about how cool the Nightwatcher was.

Now, Michelangelo was feeling the same turmoil of rampant emotions. He knew the bomb needed to be found, knew that no one knew the way around the secret and hidden parts of the city like his brothers and himself did, but was being selfish. He didn't want his brother to risk his own life when the police were working on the case. If no one was doing anything to find the bombs, of course he would have been ready and willing to search for them. But with others working on the case, he felt a selfish desire to keep his brother safe.

With a sigh, Michelangelo stood up and went into the bathroom. He locked the door behind himself and looked hard into the mirror. With a deep breath and a quick grimace, he did what he had been doing every day for the past fifteen years. He put a smile on his face and forced his feelings down. No one would believe Michelangelo capable of having deep feelings and emotional conflicts, and he didn't want to shatter their image of him.

Forcing the feelings into a deep recess of his brain where he hoped he would never access them again, Michelangelo started humming a small tune. Unlocking the door, he stepped out, grabbed some chips from the kitchen, and decided to try and play his video game once more. An undeterminable amount of time passed before a joyous shout rang from his lips.

"New His Score!" He yelled, pumping his fist in the air, completely forgetting his earlier emotional debate. "Oh yeah, who's your daddy?!"

* * *

Okay, I lied. They didn't meet the twins yet, but they will soon, I promise! Love it, hate it, suggestions? Please review and let me know what you think so far!!

I really hate that Michelangelo is often portrayed as one dimensional and so I want to do a little character developement throughout the story on both him and Raphael, but I want to take it slowly so it doesn't seem completely OOC. Let me know if you think it's a good idea please?!

Thank you both Puldoh and Michael J Angelo for reviewing and showing the story interest, it really means a lot to me!!


	4. After All I'm Not Afraid of Dying

Okay, here it is )

Thank you to Alora05 and Michael J Angelo for reviewing!! I REALLY appreciate it.

Chapter 4

Raphael spent the majority of the next few days in Don's lab, and the nights out topside. Michelangelo had no idea where his brother was going, and tried not to think about it…Thinking that Raph might possibly be becoming the Nightwatcher again was not a thought that he was willing to entertain, and so completely disregarded it. He spent his nights sleeping fitfully, waking every five minutes to check and see if his brother had made it home.

Raphael had, in reality, been contemplating a tough decision. He knew the bombs would be hidden, knew that it would take a certain mentality to be able to uncover them; he knew he didn't possess that mentality, but he knew who did. For the past three nights, he had been watching the twins work, trying to understand how they operated. Unfortunately, the key component that made them so magnificent as thieves was that they had no set pattern, no distinct signature. One night they would use lock scramblers, the next they would simply hurl rocks through windows, and sometimes they just walked in while the place was still open and jimmied the cash register while the clerk was in the back.

Raphael found it impossible to attempt to imitate them. After many hours of thinking, he finally knew what he had to do. He had to do what he had wanted to do more than anything for the past fifteen years, had to do what he hoped he never would; he had to talk to them. Of course, this was easier said than done.

Raphael spent the whole day contemplating how to approach the twins. After all, he couldn't exactly bump into them casually and start a conversation. He wished that April had stayed behind so that he could get her to talk to the twins. Thinking about it, he realized that April might be able to help him after all. She had left him and Michelangelo a key to her apartment, which was located on top of the antique store she ran on the weekends. Raphael decided that maybe if he could get the twins to attempt to rob her store, he could catch them and talk.

Raphael entertained this idea for a while, but disregarded it; there were too many uncontrollable variables. Something could get broken, or else the store might be completely destroyed. He didn't want to deal with a pissed off April if he could help it. He had seen that side of her before, and never wanted to again.

Fortunately for Raph, the answer of how to meet the twins came to him the last night of the first week, a Saturday. Raphael had been watching the twins silently from atop a two story building when they had walked unknowingly into Purple Dragon territory. Raphael was surprised to see them there; in all of the years he had watched, they had never been bold enough to storm the Dragon's territory.

"Are you sure about this?" Daniel questioned, holding a new gadget in his hands.

"Relax, it'll take ten minutes tops. We need this heist," Brandon got down on his knees and pulled out his miniature roll of tools. Three minutes passed before a "click" alerted them to the door becoming unlocked. Daniel got to work rolling back the metal bars that covered the store front and on his way picked up a rock and casually flicked it at the security camera. Brandon came up behind him and pulled out the video of them picking the lock, stepping on it and crushing it in to little pieces.

"Well hell, thanks guys." a voice sounded behind the twins, making them turn slowly. A teenaged boy, about eighteen, with green liberty spikes in his hair stood behind them, arms crossed. Behind him stood about five more Purple Dragons.

"You guys see this? These two punks just did half our job for us," the teenager laughed as the rest of his group advanced.

"Screw you," Brandon stood up, rolling up his sleeves and dropping his tools gently on the ground. All traces of nervousness left Daniel as he stepped forward to stand next to his brother. Both twins had lost all vestiges of humor, instead looking exactly like two tough and hardened criminals. The Purple Dragons simply laughed, knowing they had the upper hand, and charged.

Raphael watched in awe for a few moments, not jumping in right away. Daniel and Brandon were getting beat badly, but were doing their absolute best to take down some Dragons with them. Daniel punched, the punk with the green hair dodged and wrapped a chain around his wrist, pulling Daniel down to the ground with him. Daniel swung his feet out, knocking the breath out of the Dragon advancing behind him. Brandon came by, jabbing at a larger Dragon, about twenty years old, and trying to get a quick punch in through his defenses. As he passed, he aimed a well-placed kick at the green haired Dragon on the ground with Daniel, breaking his nose and making his grip on the chain slacken enough for Daniel to slip through.

Raphael knew that the twins weren't experienced fighters and saw them tiring quickly. Daniel was being attacked by two Dragons whilst Brandon was being thrown back against a wall by two more with the last Dragon punching him in the stomach. Seeing his opportune moment, Raphael jumped into the fray. He made quick work of the battered Dragons, using his Sais to unarm them and render them unconscious. In about three minutes, too quick for anyone to know what was happening, Raphael and the twins were the only ones left standing.

The twins were up against a wall, panting hard and wiping blood from the various wounds on their faces. Raphael twirled his Sais, completely unfazed, and pocketed them before tentatively making his way over to the twins. He made sure to keep himself hidden in the shadows.

"You guys alright?" he asked. The twins nodded in the dark, still wary about a possible attack from this seemingly good Samaritan.

"Yeah, thanks." Brandon gasped out, now clutching his side. Raphael took a deep breathe; he had no idea how to proceed from here.

"Uh, you need any help?"

"No, we're fine. Thanks," Daniel sounded eager for him to be on his way. Raphael was confused at first, but then remembered; they were in the middle of breaking in to a shop. Of course they didn't want anyone around, they wanted to finish the job. Raph hesitated, unsure. He wished he would have brought Michelangelo along; he was much better at dealing with this sort of thing. He took another deep breathe; he really hated dealing with humans. Casey and April were fine, but, then again, he knew they were special circumstances.

"Hey, you guys are responsible for a lot of the break ins around here, I heard." Raphael tried a different tact. Apparently, it was the wrong one.

"Yeah? Whoever said that?" Brandon's voice turned ice cold.

"What are you, a damn pig or something?" Daniel accused at the same time.

"Not quite," Raphael felt like he had no other options. He was never good at making plans, and didn't know how to proceed. Maybe Mikey or even Leo or Don could have found a more tasteful way of explaining to the twins about them, but Raphael had never been graced with the eloquence his brothers had. Feeling like this was the only way, Raphael stepped out of the shadows and in to the circle of light cast by the lamp post in front of the convenience store.

Michelangelo sat on the couch, staring at the unopened pizza box on the table. For one of the first times in his life, he wasn't hungry. He had never been graced the way Leonardo had in the ways of meditation, but he was very in tune to his brothers emotions. And he knew something was wrong.

Raphael had been out every night this week, but Mikey felt something different this time. An anxious feeling that wasn't his own washed over him, and he felt completely helpless to figure out why. Raphael wasn't in trouble, he knew that. But he couldn't figure out what would cause such a strong emotion in his brother.

"Dude," he sighed, breaking the silence and rubbing his eyes behind his orange bandana. He turned on the television to break the monotonous silence and flipped to some Looney Toons re-runs.

The feeling passed a few minutes later. A small smile graced his lips and he reached out for a piece of now slightly cooled pizza. He halted his hand half way back to his mouth though.

"Oh…my…God," he spoke to himself and dropped the pizza in shock. "I _really_ am not in the mood for pizza….THE APOCOLYPSE IS COMING!!" Michelangelo knew he was being over dramatic, but he didn't care; he was bored. Bored and worried. And anything he could do to take his mind off of it was perfectly fine. After all, he was home alone so it wasn't like anyone could see what a maniac he was acting like. Not that they would consider it abnormal behavior for him even if they did see it. He grabbed his throat and slid off of the couch, coughing and gagging. He fell to the floor and twitched a few times before clawing his way back up with a snarl.

"You won't like me when I'm angry," he gasped out, turning his hands so that they looked like claws. Mikey jumped up all the way and lunged forward a few steps before running in to the bathroom to see what he looked like in the mirror, and had to laugh at his reflection. He looked absolutely nothing like the Hulk. All he looked like was an overdramatic turtle.

"Well, at least I'm green," he complimented himself. He walked calmly back out into the living room and grabbed his previously discarded slice of pizza.

Mikey wasn't crazy, despite his earlier antics. He was simply confused and trying to handle his confusing emotions the same way he handled everything else; by pushing it to the back of his mind and joking about something else. Yet as Mikey tried to focus on the television set before him, he knew something was changing. Sooner or later, he knew he would have to actually face his problems in a different way; he knew he couldn't continuously shrug them off. But he had no idea how soon he was going to have to start facing them. He had no idea how quickly Raphael was going to escalate the process of his growing up.

Okay, this one was a little longer...It was three whole pages on Word. Let me know what you think!!

And don't ask about the whole Mikey/ Hulk thing.. It's a long story )


	5. It's All About the Game and How You Play

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Chapter 5

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Raphael didn't know how he did it. His mouth just opened and words poured out without any comprehensive thought behind them. He had no idea if he was making any sense or if he was simply babbling and, quite frankly, he didn't care. He just wanted this awkward feeling inside of him to end. Yet he figured from the looks he was receiving from the twins that he was making sense. Either that, or they were just to shocked by his appearance to make a different face.

"So, you've been spying on us?" Brandon asked once Raphael's mouth had clamped itself shut. He nodded, not wanting to go into detail; he didn't want them to know that he had been watching them for fifteen years. '_After all,_' he thought callously, '_that_ _might freak them out_.' Brandon was quiet for a moment before he turned, grinning, to his brother and held his hand out. Daniel sighed and reached into his pocket. He shook his head slightly as he slapped a twenty dollar bill into Brandon's waiting palm.

"I knew it! I knew we were being watched!" Brandon crowed victoriously. Raphael got angry all of the sudden. He didn't know why, but he welcomed the familiar feeling, hailing it as he would an old friend. He could handle anger, knew how to manipulate it into a wall he could hide behind.

"Is this a damn joke to you?" He seethed. He thought he had explained about the bombs, although he couldn't be sure. Apparently he had though, as the twins' expressions grew somber.

"No, but we really don't see how we can help you," Daniel shrugged. Sirens started wailing faintly in the distance, and Raphael knew that the scene earlier with the Purple Dragons had alerted some one who had called the cops.

"All we can do is say sorry and hope no one gets hurt." Brandon agreed. Raphael saw the twins grow anxious as the sirens grew louder.

"Not true," Raphael felt awkward and some what embarrassed to be revealing his secret. "I've been watching you guys for a while now, and I'm pretty sure you guys can help more than anyone else." the three of them tensed; they could hear the siren less than a block away. "Is there any place we can go to finish this conversation?" he wasn't going to let the twins go now that he had finally found the courage to talk to them, and wasn't willing to jeopardize the safety of his home in the sewers. Brandon and Daniel looked at each other before nodding.

"We'll take you to our place. Come on," without a glance behind them to make sure Raph was following, the twins took off, running as fast as they could.

The trio ran for what felt like an hour. Raphael had a pretty good idea as to where they were headed, but the twins insisted on taking a back route to ensure that they weren't being followed, and to attempt to confuse Raphael from knowing the exact location. They slowed to a slight jog halfway through, panting and gasping for air. Once Raphael had passed the same pile of trash in the same alley for the fourth time, he decided enough was enough.

"Listen, I don't think anyone is following us, and I don't really care where you guys live, so why don't we quit running circles over here and just get to the damn place?" he snapped.

"Because, not just anyone gets to know where we live," Brandon countered. Raphael sized him up. So far, Brandon had definitely been the smart mouth out of the two, with Daniel rarely talking more than he needed to.

"Well, you guys wouldn't happen to live on the corner of Paully and 121st right? Because there's no way in _hell_ that I would know where that is, right?" Brandon stopped jogging and gave Raphael a cool glance. Raphael continued. "And there's no way for me to _possibly_ know that if we just cut out at the end of this alley and go left, we'll be standing right on the opposite corner from your apartment?" he relished the sarcasm coming out of his mouth, happy he could mask his awkwardness in some other fashion. Daniel had realized that the other two weren't behind him any more and doubled back. He, too, gave Raphael an appraising glance.

"Well forgive us, normally people don't stalk us and have super-human senses of direction." he spoke. Raphael decided he needed to re-evaluate which twin was more of a smart mouth.

"I didn't stalk you. It's just pretty obvious." Raphael shrugged. The twins decided not to argue and instead took off at a fast walk, leaving the alley and turning left. Raph shook his head and followed them. He pulled his shell cell out from his belt and looked at the time. _12:32 a.m._ This was going to be one hell of a long night.

* * *

They reached the twins apartment in five minutes. It was a small, ramshackle two bedroom flat with peeling paint and stained carpets. Despite this, it looked at least semi well-kept. The furniture was black leather and a glass coffee table sat in between the couch and a plasma screen television. Daniel caught Raphael looking around curiously and chuckled slightly.

"Other people's money affords you luxuries that simply working your ass off can't." he spoke. Raphael turned to look at him.

"This is all from stolen money?"

"I don't consider it stolen. We worked to get the money and the owners of the stores aren't suffering. All they had to do was re-evaluate some numbers for a few weeks." Daniel shrugged.

"But what if they really only made enough to keep the store running and _you_ screwed up their income so much that they're in debt?"

"That's why we do our homework." Brandon came back from the kitchen, setting down three cokes. "We research the stores first, find out exactly how much money they can afford to lose. If the numbers are too low, we don't bother."

"Unless the people are real assholes, then we just say screw 'em." Daniel finished, popping open his coke and tossing the third to Raphael, who caught it deftly.

"Thanks," he opened the can and took a small sip. He didn't really drink soda that much, all though he didn't mind it. Brandon suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"You do drink soda right? I mean-" he let the ending hang, unsure how to proceed. Raphael knew what he was talking about though and shrugged it off. After all, no one really knew what mutant turtles ate and drank, besides themselves and Casey and April.

"Yeah, thanks." he took a bigger gulp, feeling the bubbles slide down his throat. The three were quiet for a few moments before Daniel got up and left. He came back a few seconds later, sitting down and placing a piece of paper, a map, and three pens on the glass coffee table.

"So," he started, tossing a pen to his brother and Raphael. "Let's talk business here."

* * *

_4:08 a.m._ Michelangelo was in the exact same position he had been in for the past three hours. In the past week that he had been out and about, Raphael had never been back past two. Mikey was scared that something had happened to his brother and couldn't fathom what to do. Go after him? Call the others? Sit on sorry shell and wait? Waiting was never his strong point. All his life had been characterized by the same statement: _impatient Mikey. Hyper Mike. Calm down, Michelangelo! _For his entire life, he had tried to be patient, but not tonight. He couldn't just sit and wait. He had called Raphael's shell cell multiple times, but had received no answer. It wasn't dead, he knew that. So why wasn't Raphael answering?!

Mikey stood up, grabbed his nunchaku from their place on the couch besides him, and walked out of the lair. He walked down the sewers, wondering where to start looking for Raph.

"Okay, if I was a totally pissed of, psychotic turtle, where would I be?" he questioned to himself to break the silence. He couldn't stand silence, it was to oppressive. It weighed in heavily from all sides, constricting and making spaces seem smaller than they actually were. That was why he had spent the majority of his life fighting the silence, much to the chagrin of his brothers.

Michelangelo jumped out of a manhole about three streets over from where his lair was. He knew the city was way to big to search every crevice and corner, so decided to start at a mutual spot; April's apartment. He let himself in carefully, not finding anything. From there, he ventured over to Casey's ramshackle house, likewise finding it empty. Central Park wielded the same results and Mikey started to get frustrated. Jumping out of the tree he was surveying the surrounding area in, he nimbly ran in the shadows, intent on checking out the movie house. He didn't make it, though, as he saw police lights flashing directly in front of him. Pressing himself as far into a dark alley as he could, he managed to catch a part of the conversation.

"-robbed the damn store." one policeman was saying. Mikey leaned forward slightly. The second policeman, holding a clipboard, shook his head.

"Naw, it's probably those damn twins up on 121st."

"You need to give those guys a rest you ain't caught 'em yet and you ain't gonna." The first one laughed.

The two policemen walked off together and got into their car, still talking. Mikey stepped away from the wall, smirking; he had just gotten his next clue. A million swears and curses passed through his head as his feet pounded the cement down the alley. A gut feeling told him he knew where his brother was at. And Michelangelo felt sorry for the poor twins if they did anything to hurt his brother.

'_Not that they aren't already sorry if they tried to hurt him,'_ Mikey thought, remembering his brother's temper. He decided not to worry, knowing Raphael would be fine; that he had to be fine. Despite trying to convince himself of this, however, he continued to race on towards 121st Avenue, deciding that he should at least check it out.

Michelangelo made it down to 121st Ave. and raced along it for about ten minutes, cursing the policemen from earlier for not giving a cross street.

"121st and _what_?" he questioned. The answer came soon though, as he rounded a stop sign and came upon Paully. Through a window on the second story of a dilapidated apartment complex was the only light shining within three square miles.

"Bingo," Mikey whispered to himself, happy with himself for being able to successfully track his brother. He tightened the orange mask around his eyes in a self-satisfied way and stealthily stalked towards the apartment complex and scaled the fire escape with ease. Listening carefully, he was surprised to hear the conversation emanating from within the room.

* * *

Woohoo! Another chapter done. ) This one is slightly longer, though I'm not terribly happy with it; I've been rushing around lately and this might be my only time to post for a few days…the joys of job hunting..sighs oh well. Let me know what you guys think, and a HUGE THANK YOU to Alora05 for reviewing the last chapter. I love reading your reviews, especially the last one because it was so long. I really appreciate you taking the time to review!

SOOO let me know what you guys think about this chapter! Thank you!


	6. New Development

Chapter 6

* * *

"-so I told the guy 'look, dude, if it's broken, I don't want it. Try to pin it on someone else.'" a strange voice was talking and Michelangelo was shocked to hear his brother's deep voice actually chuckling.

"And he didn't try to pin it on you?" Raphael questioned, out of sight. Michelangelo glanced through the window to see Raphael sitting in a black leather armchair, drinking a coke and laughing with two identical looking teenaged boys. The one sitting farthest from the window shook his head.

"Nope. Six hundred bucks and the guy just lets me walk on out," he was saying. Raphael shook his head.

"Amazing. The guy must have been on crack," the twin sitting closer to the window replied.

"Well," Raphael pulled out his shell cell that had been on silent mode to check the time, only to see that he had seven missed calls from Michelangelo. Exiting out of the screen, he cursed when he saw what time it was. _5:40 a.m._ "Shit, I gotta run. I forgot all about my brother and he's probably up by now and worried-" Raphael never got the chance to finish. Michelangelo, always one for the dramatics, chose that moment to jump through the window, grinning.

"What the hell?" Brandon jumped up, shocked. One mutant turtle was more than enough for a brain to comprehend in twenty-four hours, but _two?!_

"Mikey!" Raph exclaimed, shocked. Michelangelo stepped forward and stood next to his brother.

"This is Mikey?" Daniel, the twin farthest from the window, questioned. Brandon sized him up casually.

"He doesn't look like a retard," Brandon offered with a grin.

"Hey! I take offence to that!" Mikey proclaimed loudly, but he couldn't keep the grin off of his face; Raphael was fine! Nothing had happened!

"Oh shut up. What are you doing here?" Raph's voice was hard, laced with confusion.

"Well _someone_ didn't answer their phone. So a very caring, handsome, determined, downright _perfect_ other turtle left to look for the first one. Then when the second one, let's call him Michelangelo just for the sake of things, finally found the first turtle, he thought he was in trouble so came to rescue the hothead." Mikey grinned. Raphael growled.

"You shouldn't have come out. I'm a big boy, I can handle myself."

"Yeah, no kidding," Daniel mumbled under his breath, remembering the fight earlier. Raphael shot him a warning glance that he wisely heeded.

"Well hey," Brandon glanced at his watch. "We were gonna hit up the mini mart before it opens in twenty minutes so-" he motioned to the door.

"Just forget it, we'll do it tonight," Daniel dismissed, yawning.

"He's right, we gotta go. Well, I'll see you tonight?" Raphael questioned. The twins' nodded. Raphael stood there, awkwardly. He didn't know how to say thanks. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded, a quick jerk of his head. The twins seemed to either understand, or not care that he was seemingly being a jerk. Either way, they both waved goodbye and watched the two turtles climb out the window. On the descent down the fire escape, Raphael and Mikey heard one of the twins mutter something suspiciously along the lines of "And to think I'm not even on acid."

* * *

The two brothers made it down in the sewers in complete silence. Finally, Mikey couldn't stand the oppressiveness any more and coughed loudly. No response from Raph. He coughed again; no answer.

"COUGH COUGH HACK HACK!" Mikey tried again, deliberately saying the words. Raphael turned, his face a perfect mask of irritation.

"What?"

"Oh nothing. Just a tickle in my throat." Silence reigned after this statement. A few minutes later, he coughed again.

"I'm gonna put you through the wall if you don't stop." Raphael was tired and sore and irritated. He didn't want to be annoyed by his little brother as well.

"Why didn't you tell me more people know about us?" Mikey gave voice to the question that had been bugging him ever since he found his brother.

"Because I just met 'em."

"Why were you talking to them? And why were they talking about the mini mart? And why are you meeting them again tonight? And why-" Mikey was cut off.

"Jeeze! What, are you writing a book or something?"

"Or something," Mikey replied cheekily, dodging the punch that Raphael threw.

"I'm just seeing if they can help me with a little project. That's all you need to know." They had reached the lair by now and were walking through the living room.

"What pro-"

"Mikey, I swear to God, I am _not_ in the mood right now!" Raph snapped before walking in to his room and slamming the door behind him.

"Crabby turtle. I risk life and limb to find him and this is how I'm repaid," Mikey shook his head despondently before walking into his own room.

* * *

The two turtles woke up at noon. They were still tired, but their bodies refused to sleep anymore. Michelangelo lay in bed for a few minutes, willing his tired body to sleep for just a few more moments. He gave up shortly though and walked into the living room, stretching. He was surprised to see Raphael was already up, a sandwich dangly limply from his hand as he watched the television. The news was on again.

_"The police are baffled as to how the Confederate Flag found its' way into the Abyssinian Baptist Church. Up until recently, the church was known as utterly impregnable. The community around the immediate area has already been evacuated, yet the citizens are in an uproar and furious that their homes are in the line of fire. More information will be disclosed at a later interval."_

Raphael and Michelangelo were silent. The church had been infiltrated? Not only that, but so many homes were going to be destroyed in one week due to some racist psychos? The thought was unbearable. Not even thirty seconds had passed since the report ended, and Raphael's shell cell stared to vibrate. Raphael looked down and saw the twins' caller I.D. on it, having given them the number the night before.

"Yeah?" he asked, mouth dry.

"Raphael? It's Brandon and Daniel; you're on speed dial. Did you see the news just now?"

"Yeah, I saw it alright."

"Can you meet us right now instead of tonight? We think we may have a lead." Raphael paused as he heard the twins say this. He couldn't go topside during the middle of the day, but still didn't want to necessarily expose the lairs whereabouts.

"Um, I can't go there. And I don't think you want to come here."

"It doesn't matter, we need to talk!" the twin that was talking sounded frantic.

"Well, if you're sure you don't mind coming here." Raph knew it was the only option.

"What? It's not like you live in a dumpster." The twin was impatient. Raphael smiled grimly.

"Not exactly. Meet me in the corner alley on Bleaker and Sierra. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." he hung up.

"Was that the twins?" Mikey asked once the phone was closed. Raph nodded. "Are you meeting them right now?" Another nod. "I'm coming with," Mikey decided with a tone of finality.

"No Mike, I'm meeting them and bringing them here."

"I'm still going with you to meet them." Very rarely did Mikey's voice hold such a note of finality and defiance. It took Raphael by surprise and he could do nothing but quickly nod before the two walked out into the sewers.

* * *

Okay, once again I'm sorry this is so short. I really do intend to make them longer, but my life is so hectic right now. I'm stressing out because I'm getting surgery on Friday and am trying to prepare for that, as well as dealing with my car being on the fritz, and daily stress. I'm really sorry but thank you for bearing with me and I will try to post longer chapters once my wrist is healed..it will take 6 months to heal but I will write in the meantime, but they may be short posts or else be far between.

Thanks to Michael J Angelo and Alora05 for reviewing!!


	7. A Small Lead

Chapter 7

* * *

The twins were already leaning against the side of a ramshackle building by the time the two turtles got there.

"You guys ready?" Raphael asked, pushing aside the top of a manhole to allow them down. They looked on in shock.

"You live in the sewers?" Brandon questioned, his face scrunched up in unmasked disgust. Raphael gave him an appraising look.

"It ain't a dumpster," he replied, jumping back down to the floor of the wet sewer.

"It ain't that bad. You won't get, like, radiation poisoning or anything. Only the fish get that here." Michelangelo shrugged. The twins exchanged worried looks and stepped down cautiously. They had to grab on to the small access ladder along the wall, but eventually jumped to the bottom, soaking the bottom of their black pants.

No one spoke the whole way home. Raphael purposefully took them in circles for a full fifteen minutes, considering it payback for the night before. Mikey figured Raph just wanted to confuse them as to the location of the lair and remained quiet. Raphael vindictively wished to keep running circles, but knew that Michelangelo wouldn't stay quiet for much longer. He took them around one last curve and walked straight ahead to the lair.

"Nice place," Daniel commented as soon as they were inside.

"Allow me to give you the grand tour," Mikey said. He turned in a full circle, pointing to random rooms but never moving. "Kitchen, dojo, bedrooms, bathroom, living room."

"Nice," Brandon smiled, sitting down on the couch. Once the other three had joined him, he spoke again. "We think we might have a way in to the gang that's doing this."

"What makes you sure this is a gang?" Raphael questioned, skeptical.

"The style. Hydro is a pretty small gang, but deadly. Extremely racist, and those area's are actually in their turf."

"And their symbol is a tattoo of a Confederate Flag and a noose." Daniel added.

"That's messed up!" Michelangelo spoke up. "and they never got jumped for those tattoos?"

"Plenty of people have tried. They all wound up missing," Brandon smiled grimly. Raphael whistled a low note.

"So what's this great lead?" he asked.

"Well, we know someone who does occasional business with them. We don't like to talk to him person more than possible, but Daniel here might be able to pull some strings and get 'em to help." Brandon nudged his brother, who punched him.

"I ain't gay and I don't like tweakers." Daniel replied.

"The reason we needed to meet right now was to see what you guys wanted to do."

"And it couldn't have waited until tonight?" Raph complained.

"Nope. Stupid tweaker's nocturnal. We want to do this tonight."

"Okay. See if he can find out how they're getting in. See if he can see what the main purpose for this whole thing is."

"Well that last part is pretty obvious; they want to create Helter Skelter or else eradicate all minorities." Daniel spoke like this was obvious. Raphael nodded, thinking.

"And we can't figure this out without him?" he didn't like the idea of introducing more people than necessary.

"Well we _could. _But it'll take more time than we have." Brandon replied. The payphone in the lair started to ring. Michelangelo got up and answered.

"'Sup?" he questioned lazily. His eyes widened perceptibly as he listened to the person on the other end. "Are you kidding me? Is he alright? Yeah, yeah no problem. Call as soon as anything happens." Mikey hung up the phone and walked back to the couch.

"Don's really sick. His fevers up to 103. They don't want to move him till he's better so they're gonna be staying at the farm house for a few more days."

"Is he gonna be alright?" Raph questioned, concerned. He felt a wave of guiltiness wash over him as he realized that he didn't want the others there. He would really rather sort this thing out on his own. He didn't even want Mikey knowing about it. He knew he was being selfish, but some part of him still wished to show that he could handle crime on his own; reminiscent of the Nightwatcher.

"Yeah, he's just really bad off right now. They think he'll be better in a few days. Blows too, we coulda really used 'em." Mikey shook his head.

"How many of you guys are there?" Brandon asked, a little incredulous.

"Five if you count our Sensei." Mikey replied. Brandon shook his head in disbelief.

"So, lets do this. Raphael, if you want to just stick in the shadows tonight and cover Daniel, that'd be great. Mitch can't stand me so I can't go." Brandon stated.

"Why do I gotta stay in the shadows?" Raphael questioned. He was glad that he didn't need to meet any more people, but was simply wondering.

"Because you can't trust him. He'll sell you guys out for a little hit without thinking twice."

"Well," Mikey grinned, "That's comforting."

* * *

Okay, I'm sooo sorry this is really short and it took me so long to update, but I'm typing with only one hand while my other one heals..(The doctor didn't tell me they put a pin that they left sticking halfway out so it rubs on my cast…ug!) Anyway, thank you guys for reviewing!! Tell me what you think!


	8. Spiderman is Better Than Batman!

Chapter 8

**A disclaimer: I am not a homophobe or anything…My best friend is actually bisexual, but I know how some straight guys might be uncomfortable kissing another male, and that is the image I was attempting to get across, nothing more! Sorry if Daniel's reaction offended anyone, it wasn't intended to!!**

* * *

Raphael remained silently in the shadows, hardly daring to breathe. Daniel glanced up once in the direction of Raphael's general vicinity and nodded. He didn't look happy. Raphael watched him knock on the door twice and step back.

"Daniel!" A sickly thin man with stringy yellow hair and a grayish hue to his skin opened the door and hugged him. Daniel grimaced and gently patted the man on his back. "What can I help you with?"

"Hey, Mitch." Daniel's grin was painfully fake, and Raph couldn't help but feel a stab of sympathy for him. "How are you?"

"Great now that you're here!" Mitch batted his eyes and it took everything within Raphael's willpower to keep from busting out laughing. This six foot two man looked anything but homosexual. Daniel chuckled uncomfortably. Mitch fixed his hands upon his hips and put on a fake frown. "But I know you're not here for just idle chit chat. Come on in and we'll talk." Mitch held the door open wider and allowed Daniel in. Raphael shook his head as the door closed behind the two and leaped deftly onto the top of Mitch's roof.

* * *

"No way that Spiderman could beat Batman!" Brandon dismissed with a wave of his hand. Mikey looked genuinely affronted.

"Dude! Spiderman could wipe the floor with Batman!" he argued back.

The two had been left alone together in the lair whilst Raphael and Daniel were at Mitch's. the first few moments were filled with awkward silence, but Michelangelo had quickly rectified that.

"You wish! Spiderman is on his own! Batman at least has Robin to watch his back! They could jump Spiderman and kill him!"

"Uh, no! Spiderman's Spidey sense would start tingling way before they could sneak on him! Besides, what would that little nancy boy do? Cry and startle him?"

"You're impossible!" Brandon threw his arms up into the air in mock despair.

"Some people just have no sense of genius," Mikey shook his head sadly and flopped heavily down into his seat. He grabbed the remote and turned on the television.

"Who's your favorite Looney Tune?" Brandon asked, intently watching what show Mikey would pick.

"Hugo the Abominable Snowman." Mikey answered promptly. Brandon laughed.

"Leave it to you to pick a minor character that no one knows."

"Everyone knows him, dude!" Mikey exclaimed, finally deciding to watch an old black and white horror movie based on a Bram Stoker novel. "Fine, who's your favorite?" he questioned. Brandon opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off. "And don't you dare say that over-commercialized damn Bugs Bunny!" he warned.

"Bugs bunny," Brandon smirked. Michelangelo rolled his eyes. "What's so wrong with that?"

"Do you know how many great characters there are that simply don't get enough screen time? Michigan J. Frog, Speedy Gonzales-"

"Speedy Gonzales got plenty of show time!" Brandon interjected.

"And yet no one seems to notice because he's constantly overshadowed by Bugs Bunny!" Mikey stated passionately.

"How much thought do you put into this stuff?" Brandon asked seriously. Mikey shrugged and was about to answer when his shell cell started to ring on the table. Without giving it a second thought, he flipped over the back of the couch and went to answer it. Brandon shook his head, amazed at how flippantly the turtles seemed to use their skills.

Brandon listened to Michelangelo's half of the conversation for a full five minutes. The conversation seemed to be a jumble of words and random topics. Brandon couldn't even imagine the conversation that was going on.

"Hey….Yeah no problem…that's gross…heh, like Spiderman?…Nasty toppings…No! I said it's gross!…Dude, that's just sick!…Yes, boring and unoriginal is sick and disturbing…Fine…That's immoral…It'll be the death of you…What about the Apocalypse you're gonna cause with that?…Don't start…Let me do it!…You're gonna kill us all!…Okay…I'll get it now…Bye." Mikey hung up and walked back to the couch.

"What was that about?" Brandon questioned, sounding a little scared. Did this have to do with the bombs?

"Raph and Daniel are on their way back. Raph wants pizza…Plain pepperoni. How boring can a guy get?" he shook his head in dismay. Brandon let out a deep breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The turtles were definitely bizarre.

* * *

Raphael sat outside waiting for a good hour. He was just starting to wonder if something had gone wrong and if he should go in when Daniel came out. He looked pale and sick. He kept wiping his mouth on his sleeve, licking his lips and then spitting as if trying to get a horrible taste out of his mouth. Raphael wanted to know what had happened, but couldn't risk jumping down off of the roof to talk to him; too many chances of being seen on the ground. To pass the time, he called Mikey and asked him to order a pizza. The conversation was odd to say the least, and he wasn't sure about half of what Mikey had said. All he had asked for was a pepperoni pizza, after all.

Raph waited impatiently until Daniel walked into a small back alley with a manhole before he jumped down and led Daniel through the sewers.

"So, what happened?" he asked as soon as Daniel had finished descending. Daniel shook his head, remaining quiet. "Did you get any information?" a nod. "Well? Is it the guys we thought it was?" another nod. "What's wrong?" Raphael finally questioned in an impatient tone. Daniel simply looked at him and shook his head slowly. Raphael was confused.

"Did you take any drugs?" he questioned.

"No," Daniel sounded sick as he answered. An idea flashed across Raphael's mind.

"What did you have to do to get the information?" a teasing note entered into his voice.

"I don't want to talk about it." Daniel wiped his hand across his mouth again. "Let's just say that you owe me…_big time._"

"Aw, it couldn't have been that bad." Raphael smirked. Daniel simply spit and flipped him off.

* * *

I hope this post is okay in length, it's two pages in Word, but that doesn't seem to be as long as I once thought.

Also, I am still in my cast, but have full range of motion back in my fingers now, so I will updating more! Thank you to those of you who reviewed, I really appreciate it!

Please review and let me know what you all think so far!!


	9. The First Try

Chapter 9

* * *

6 days left until the bombs detonated, and they had barely found their first lead. The prospects of them finding the bombs looked pretty bleak, but Raphael refused to give up. Giving up meant failure, and he was unwilling to accept that. Never before had he backed down, and he wouldn't start now.

When Raphael and Daniel were back in the lair, the pizza was waiting on the table. Brandon and Michelangelo were screaming at each other so loudly that it was impossible to discern what exactly was being said.

"Guys-" Raphael tried to interject, but was cut off. "SHUT UP!" he bellowed, causing the pair to look at him sheepishly and quiet down. "What the hell?" he questioned.

"He started it!" Michelangelo and Brandon stated in unison, each pointing their finger at the other. Raphael rolled his eyes and grabbed a slice of pizza from the box.

"I don't care. Just shut up. Daniel found some stuff out." The four of them sat on the couch quietly, Brandon and Mikey still shooting glares at each other.

"Well," Daniel began, his throat dry. "It's Hydro. Mitch is the one that told them where to get the bombs, but says he didn't get them himself. The bombs are some prototype thingy for a small science center in Colorado, sent here for testing. Don't ask me how they got here or why they chose to send them here, I have no idea."

"So they're the only bombs of their kind? No link to any other type of explosive?" Brandon questioned.

"Not that I know of. Anyway, the gang wanted to make sure they hit their mark, so they put them within one mile of the churches instead of three, kind of narrows down the places for us to look."

"Why would the news say three miles then?" Michelangelo questioned.

"Because that's how much surrounding area they'll level. They don't know where the bombs are, only know they are within the surrounding area." Daniel replied.

"So the cops are spending time searching in the wrong places," Raphael stated. Daniel nodded.

"What place around those churches would hold a bomb?" Brandon questioned. Silence met him as everyone thought about it.

"There's an abandoned warehouse just down the street from the Abyssinian Church," Mikey spoke up.

"And a condemned apartment building two blocks down from the Cathedral one," Daniel added. "Can you get me a pen and some paper so we can write this down?" Raphael disappeared into Donnie's lab and emerged again with the requested items. The next half hour was spent wracking their brains for possible locations. Unfortunately, there seemed to be an endless supply of them. The four quickly realized that every house could be a potential spot, every store a possible holding place. Nevertheless, they continued to write down the more probable places until their brains were exhausted.

"166 places, not good enough. That means that each of us would have to search 41.5 places, 7 a day." Daniel shook his head.

"That's not that bad." Raphael shrugged.

"Yeah, but we don't even know if one of these places are the right ones. We could spend all this times looking at these places and time runs out and we were wrong. Or else we find them at the last minute and don't have time to defuse them. Or-" Daniel started to ramble.

"We get it already!" Brandon exclaimed. "Why don't we just cross off the most obvious places, the ones we know the police will look into?"

And so the next fifteen minutes were spent reducing the list. It was tedious work as Brandon and Daniel seemed to find the police incompetent of looking _anywhere_ and so didn't want to cross out too many places. However, they eventually narrowed the list down to 90 places, so that each person only had to search roughly four places a day. The clock showed that it was only midnight and Raphael and Michelangelo were eager to get started. The twins were slightly less enthusiastic.

"Right now?" Brandon complained.

"Yeah, we only got four hours of sleep." Daniel nodded. Mikey and Raph were not to be persuaded though.

"We didn't sleep that much either, but we need to do this! Stop being so whiney and let's do this thing!" Raphael rolled his eyes, already strapping his Sai to his belt and standing up. "Brandon, you and me can go to the Abyssinian church and start looking around there, Daniel, you and Mikey take the other one. Okay?"

"Why can't I go with Daniel?" Brandon challenged, not wanting to be separated from his brother.

"Because. We can't all be in the same place all at once, and you might need us to protect you guys." Raphael didn't say the real reason, which was that he and Mikey might need the twins' help in breaking in to some of the places.

"Whatever," Brandon rolled his eyes, realizing the truth in the statement but still not liking it.

After making sure that everyone had their phones, the foursome set out. They split up about an hour away from the lair. Mikey and Daniel climbed out of the manhole three streets away from their church whilst Brandon and Raphael continued to walk through the tunnels. As they were walking away, Brandon heard Michelangelo's voice call to Daniel, and hoped beyond hope that his brother would be wise enough to not answer.

"So…Your name's Daniel?" Mikey inquired.

"Yep."

"Quick question, Spiderman or Batman?" Mike's voice was dead serious.

Brandon didn't get to hear the response as he and Raphael rounded a corner out of hearing range. They walked along in silence for a few moments before a motorcycle rumbled loudly over the street above them.

"You can always tell when it's a Harley," Brandon shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips.

"You like bikes?" Raph questioned, opening the manhole and jumping up onto the street.

"Love 'em," Brandon replied. "Never been on one though." he added ruefully. Raph chuckled.

"They're great. I got a Kawasaki." Raphael was glad there was a chance to break the oppressive silence.

"What model?"

"Z1000."

"Nice bike," Brandon nodded appreciatively. "But I'm more into cruisers."

"Cruisers are nice, but not really my style." Raph conceded. Brandon shrugged and the two lapsed back into silence.

The pair walked for the better part of twenty minutes before coming to stand in front of the church. They each pulled out their list pf places and consulted them.

"Ok, I guess I'll take The Rueben Deli, Kwixtop Convenience, The Book Nook, and the 99 cent store," Raphael circled the stores on his list.

"Ok," Brandon nodded. "I'll check the gas station, the Chinese food restaurant, the pet store, and the pharmacy."

"I'll call you when I finish. Call me if anything happens," Raphael took his shell cell out and put the ring style on vibrate.

* * *

Michelangelo and Daniel were getting along fairly well, although whether that was due to Mikey's simple charm or Daniel's tendency to agree with everything he said just to avoid a scene was yet to be determined. They walked for about fifteen minutes, making small talk, until they stood face to face with the giant church.

"I'll take the stores on the left, you take the ones on the right," Mikey stated, still smiling but knowing it was time to get down to work. Daniel nodded.

"Wait," he called out as Mikey started off. "I don't have your number in my cell phone." Mikey came back and the two exchanged numbers.

Mikey looked around the abandoned house directly across the street first. The wood of the front door was rotted and easy to break, making Mikey smile at how easy it was to gain entrance. Unfortunately, he hadn't planned on it being so dark inside, and he had to wait a full five minutes until his eyes adjusted to the meager light.

The front room was completely barren. He was standing on horribly stained carpet, that at one point could have been white but was now multi colored and permanently grayed by permanent dirt. He pulled a disgusted face and quickly searched the house, finding no bomb. He kicked at the floor every so often and rapped his knuckles against the walls but found no hidden hollows where it could be hidden. After a full hour of searching, he gave up and decided to go on to the next place, taking out his list and crossing the house off.

"This is going to be a very long week," he sighed to himself as he leapt over the back yard's fence and walked along the street to the movie theatre.

* * *

I think this is my longest update so far!! YAY! I have a little more free time now so I should be able to write more long chapters! Let me know what you think about this chapter! And I know that the story is a little slow going, but next chapter should be a little exciting!!

Alora: I think we may have a problem…Spiderman is sooo better than Batman! LOL!! But Hugo really is one of the best characters I've ever seen, I crack up every time I see that episode! Lol.


	10. Running Interferance

Chapter 10

* * *

Raphael was on his last stop of the night. Nothing useful had been found and he had required no assistance from Brandon on getting into the places. So of course, the last place, the ninety-nine cent store, just _had_ to be locked. He grumbled to himself about the old turtle luck kicking in once again, and pulled out his shell cell to call Brandon.

"What?" Brandon whispered into his phone after the second ring.

"The ninety-nine cent store's locked and I can't find another way in. can you pick the lock?"

"Kinda busy. Give me five minutes." The line went dead. Raphael was curious as to why he was whispering. A thousand thoughts ran through his head as he waited. Maybe Brandon found a bomb, maybe he got caught, maybe…

Brandon rounded a corner of the ninety-nine cent store, running, and ran straight in to Raphael.

"What'd you find?" his voice came out harsher than he intended it to. Brandon gave him an inquisitive glance.

"Nothing."

"Well what were you all secretive for?"

"'Cause unlike you, I had to go to the gas station that's open twenty-four/ seven. I was sneaking in the air duct right over the employee break room with two people in it when you called."

"Oh," was all that Raphael said, not too concerned. He waited for Brandon to pick the lock and without so much as a thanks, walked into the store.

"Are you finished with your places?" Raph asked as he jumped behind one of the registers and started looking around.

"Yeah, came up with absolutely nothing," was the reply as Brandon started to walk around and examine the walls for any loose pieces.

There was silence for a few moments as Raphael continued to search behind the counters and Brandon picked the lock and let himself into the back room. Raph was getting sufficiently frustrated by the lack of evidence. He stopped down to check a suspicious looking dent in the floor, only to discover that it was nothing.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath, straightening out again.

"Whoa!" he heard Brandon call from the back room. Raphael rushed to the back of the store, excitement etched on his face.

"What?" he asked, stopping in his tracks. Brandon had jimmied the lock on the safe and was putting a portion of the money in his pockets. Raphael rolled his eyes.

"Can you _focus?_" he hissed through gritted teeth.

"I am focusing, shush!" Brandon demanded, silently counting the money. Raphael walked over to him and slammed the safe door shut. "Hey!"

"We have more important shit to deal with!"

"I don't care!"

"You will when you get killed!"

"So? I guess I'll care then. Right now, I don't!"

Raphael punched the wall above Brandon's head, leaving a dent. He cursed as he saw the plaster fall down; now the people would know they were there!

"Let's just get out of here. It's not here, anyway," Brandon finished putting the money in his pocket and walked out. Raph could not believe the guts this guy had! To commit a crime right in front of him when he _knew_ how much he hated it. Things were definitely going to have to change in the next week.

* * *

Michelangelo and Daniel were faring no better in their searches. Daniel had quickly searched the small stores on his side, coming up empty handed. Michelangelo still had one small abandoned warehouse to search left, and so the two decided to look together.

"There's nothing here," Daniel complained, swiping aside a cobweb angrily.

"Yeah," Mikey agreed, smashing open a rotten wood crate and finding nothing but a large quantity of dust that flew into his nose. "Let's go and call Raph."

The two exited quickly and Mikey pulled out his shell cell, dialing Raphael's number.

"Did you guys find anything?" Raphael's voice came out over the speaker phone that Mike forgot he had left on.

"Nothing. You?"

"Nope. Meet us back at the lair," Raphael said, his voice laced with frustration.

"No problem, dude. See you in a bit," Mikey hung up his phone and put it back in his belt.

"What time is it?" Daniel asked aloud, searching his pockets for his own phone.

"Too late for a freak and a little boy to be out alone," a deep voice sounded behind them.

The pair turned around quickly, Mikey already pulling out his nunchaku. A group of about ten men, all in black, were standing about six feet behind them and grinning menacingly. They started to advance slowly, pulling weapons out of their pockets.

"Not cool, dude," Mikey shook his head, but a faint smile played on his lips; he needed a little excitement after so much boring work. Daniel gulped, but did nothing else as Mikey jumped forward and initiated the fight; he knew he wasn't a great fighter and wouldn't willingly jump into the fight just to get beat up. However, the battle soon came close to him and he was enveloped as well.

Mikey was having a great time, blowing off steam and letting his frustration out. Three of the guys were upon him, swinging clumsily at him with chains and missing horribly. He laughed as one of his wildly spinning nunchaku slammed into the gut of one of the thugs, sending him to the ground curled up in a ball. Mikey wasn't made for meticulous plans and hours of boring searching, he was made for action and excitement!

A fourth came upon him suddenly, seeming to have come out of nowhere. He was much more skilled than his comrades, but Mikey still had the upper hand. Swinging a nunchaku to the left of the man, he brought his right foot up and kicked him back into the wall. He heard Daniel grunt someone not too far off. The skilled opponent leaped off of the wall and ran to where Daniel was feebly trying to raise himself from the ground. A swift punch to the side of Daniel's neck sent him reeling into unconsciousness.

With his only partner down, Mikey was swimming in a sea of the thugs. They rushed upon him on all sides, punching and swinging weapons. He put up a good fight, but realized the opponents were just to many. He had a decision to make, and he knew it. Without missing a beat, he negotiated the fight over to the wall, deliberately backing himself into a corner. He ducked down to the ground and jumped up, catching the bottom of a fire escape and flipping himself over it. He pulled out his shell cell and called Raphael's number, still running up the ladder.

"What?" Mikey had never been so glad to hear Raph's growling tone.

"Raph! We have trouble here! Corner of Sachet and Washington, Daniel's unconscious and we need help!" he hung up abruptly and launched himself back into the fray, standing directly in front of Daniel's prone form and protecting him.

The battle that ensued was frantic and fast paced. Mikey couldn't keep track of all of the trachea's he crushed, or how many temples he smashed. Nor could he keep count of the numerous bruises and cuts he himself had acquired. He was unable to support himself with his left foot, having had it bludgeoned with a baseball bat earlier. Apparently, the few thugs from earlier had called for reinforcements, as there were now more people there than when the fight had first began.

"Any time, Raph," Mikey panted as he dodged to the left in order to avoid a chain wrapping itself around his neck. No sooner had he resumed his place in front of Daniel than he heard a very familiar phrase from an even more familiar voice.

"Damn!" he heard and smiled. The tables had just turned.

Sorry this one took a while! Every time I think I should start to have time to update, something comes up...

Alora-Okay, I'll give you the better villains, but Batman is all "woe is me" and such...While he's off being all emo and brooding, Spiderman could come in and kill him!

I'm sorry it started a fight between you and your brother(It started a fight between my best friend and myself too!) But have you seen the new Batman yet?? It's AMAZING although Spiderman is still better ;)


	11. Michelangelo Shows His Brilliance

Chapter 11

The ensuing fight was bloody, there was no other way to describe it. Raphael wasted no time in slashing his way to his brother's side, dragging Brandon's frightened form with him. Brandon didn't stay frightened for long, however, as rage enveloped him as soon as he saw his brother's limp body. He jumped in to the fray, a slightly better fighter than Daniel, and tried to take down at least two of their opponents.

"Jeeze, what'd you do to piss off this many people?" Raphael ground out to Mikey as he slammed the pommel of his sai into the temple of a particularly aggressive teenager.

"Why's it always gotta be something _I_ did? Why can't it ever just be that _something_ happened to me without my provoking it?" Mikey's voice was high with indignation and exertion as he twisted a kusari-gama in the chain connecting the wood of his nunchaku and forcing the person wielding it backwards.

"Because, you always do something that gets us into these messes. It never _just happens_."

"Well, it did this time. I swear!" Mikey executed a roundhouse kick and took out one of the opponents sneaking up behind Raphael. Raph grunted in acknowledgement, still fighting off his own people.

How many people are there?" Raphael questioned as still more gang members swarmed.

"It's Hydro," Brandon shouted over to them, having just knocked out one of the members and, after lifting the kid's shirt sleeve, seeing the tattoo.

"I thought you said Hydro was a small gang!"

"It grew!"

"No shit!" Raphael punched an adversary in the groove where the neck met the collar bone, sending him crumpling to the ground.

"We have to go!" Brandon had dropped down to his injured brother's side and saw the extent of the damage.

"And leave the fight?" Raphael questioned, incredulous.

"Yes!" Brandon's voice grew lower in pitch as he threw his brother over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"I'll cover you guys! Mikey, go with 'em!"

"Sure thing, bro!" Michelangelo quickly dipped and dodged his way over to the twins, grimacing every time his ankle had pressure put on it.

Michelangelo led the twins away, clearing a path for Brandon to walk through. He heard a shout not to far behind, and knew Raph was following, albeit slowly. Once the four of them had gotten out of the mob, Mikey ran one way with Brandon following, while Raphael distracted the gang members and took off in the opposite direction.

"Man," Raphael grunted, dodging a punch and consequentially running into an unseen enemy behind him. The man spun him around and punched him straight in the jaw. Raph didn't flinch as he felt the blood pooling in his mouth, instead kicking the man back into a wall. "Don't you ever get the hint?" he ran a little further until his back faced the wall of a three-story apartment building. He leaped up, grabbed the edge of the escape ladder, and was soon running from rooftop to rooftop, his assailants left far behind.

The majority of the gang had gone after Raph, leaving only a few for Mikey to take out. Once they were all clear, he wasted no time in finding a man hole and jumping down.

"How're you holding up?" he questioned to Brandon, who was shifting Daniel from shoulder to shoulder in apparent discomfort.

"Alright."

"Let me take him," Mikey offered, holding his arms out. Brandon carefully placed Daniel in Mikey's arms and rolled his shoulders to release the tension.

"This whole thing is getting crazy. I say just let the damn bombs go off. You guys are underground, anyway! It's not like you have that big of a deal to worry about!" Brandon was grumbling, but something made Mikey stop.

"What did you just say?" he questioned, turning to fully face the twin.

"Huh?" Brandon looked up from his rant.

"What did you just say?" Mikey repeated.

"You guys don't have a lot to worry about?"

"No, the other part."

"That's all I said!" Brandon gave Michelangelo a weird look, but Mike had taken off at a sprint, no longer feeling the pain in his ankle.

Raphael made it home only a few after the other three had arrived, but Mikey was pacing around worriedly as if it had been days.

"What's wrong?" Raph questioned, craning his neck to see how bad off Daniel was. The twin was, in fact, fully conscious and sitting up on the couch with a bag of ice held to his head.

"We had it all wrong," Mikey's tone was quick, sharp.

"What are you going on about?" Raph sat next to Daniel and yawned. It was already 5:30 in the morning.

"We have five days left to figure out how to get in."

"Get in where?" Raphael was becoming increasingly impatient. "What the hell are you babbling about?"

"Don't you see? We had it all wrong! We've been looking _around_ the churches for the bombs! But the bombs aren't _around _the churches! They're _under_ the churches! Underground!"

"What?" Brandon asked, eyes wide.

"It makes sense! The police are going to be looking around the area because the gang made it seem like that's where they are! But it makes more sense if they're in the churches."

"How would they get the bombs there, though? The churches are supposed to be impregnable!" Daniel questioned, skeptical.

"Tell that to the people that got the confederate flag inside." Raph stated flatly.

"Exactly my point! They must have gotten in underground somewhere. That's why the security system didn't register a break-in!" Mikey punched the air in victory. The other three stared at him mutely, mulling over the implications of this discovery.

"Mikey, this might be the only time I'll ever say this to you, but that's amazing." Raphael stood up and slapped his brother on the back. Mikey beamed.

"I know," he breathed on his fingers and brushed them on his collar bone. Raph simply rolled his eyes.

"Okay, so how do we find out where they are?" Daniel questioned, taking the ice off of his head and setting it on the coffee table.

"Easy. We'll get to the sewers underneath them and search. It shouldn't take too long." Raphael stretched. He was mentally energized, but his body was protesting it's lack of sleep. "We'll go tonight after we get some shut-eye. I'm beat."

"Do you guys want to chill here?" Mikey asked.

"Sure. I don't think it's best for Daniel to move now." Brandon sank down onto the recliner chair. Daniel sent his brother a glare.

"What are you, my nurse?" he asked, sarcastic.

"Yep." Brandon thought it best not to argue.

"Where's the dress?" Daniel mumbled and fell into sleep.

Raphael and Michelangelo went upstairs. They had barely reached the top stair when Raph slung an arm around Mikey's shoulders and pulled him into his own room. Mike raised his eyebrows in surprise; no one was allowed in Raphael's room. He was pushed gently into a chair next to the immaculate weight rack.

"What's up?" Michelangelo got no response as Raphael knelt in front of his brother and pulled the injured ankle onto his knee.

"This is really swollen," Raphael gently prodded and twisted the ankle, stopping every time Mikey tensed up or uttered a small cry.

"I just got it last night. It's not that big of a deal," Mikey insisted. Raphael poked a particularly sensitive part and Mikey pulled his ankle back. "Until you do that!"

"It's not broken. Just a bad sprain. Wait here," Raphael went over to his closet and pulled out a first aid kit. He pulled out an elastic bandage and made a quick job of wrapping Mike's ankle.

"Thanks, dude!" Mikey stood up, smiling down at his brother. Raphael put the kit away and smiled back.

"No problem. Now get to bed, we've got another long night."

"Yes, Leo," Mikey teased playfully. Raphael rolled his eyes but was too tired to retort. Instead, he simply flipped up into his hammock and closed his eyes.

"Mm, close the door on your way out, bonehead."

Aww, a small bit of brotherly fluff there at the end!

So, school sucks! It takes away all of my writing time! Lol. Anyway, thank you for the reviews again!! They keep me writing more!

There should be only maybe two or three chapters left, but I'm not sure yet. I have two different roads I want this story to take and I'm not sure which one I'm going to use yet. The one I'm probably going to do will end the story in about three chapters, but the second one will end it later! I'll let you know at the end of the next chapter which one I'm going to use.

Please review and let me know what you think!


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